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“Maybe they’re inside the Order members?” Maddy ventures. “You know they weren’t acting the way they should have last time we were there. It’s why… why you…”
Caleb winces, but he doesn’t say anything more than, “Yeah.”
Quinn looks from one to the other and back again. “Should I ask?”
“I’m sure we’ll explain later.” Maddy shifts from side to side. “Now can we get out of here?”
As Quinn yanks her stick out of the ground, she grins. “As long as you know leaving here doesn’t mean we aren’t going to have a problem with random Fae attackers, then I’m game. Lead on.”
As the trio hustles back toward the portal, Maddy hides her discomfort with Quinn’s mercurial behavior. She has obsidian in her, and she’s comfortable with living in the middle of a pile of dismembered body parts. It’s dark…in a way Maddy’s worried Caleb might be turning.
It doesn’t matter. She loves him no matter what, but it’s something she can’t ignore and she can’t deny it may make a difference as they meet whatever future is barreling toward them.
When they reach the portal, they send Quinn through first.
Before they go through, Caleb catches her hand. “You okay?”
“Fine.”
“You’re not fine.”
“Doesn’t matter, though, so I’m fine,” Maddy answers.
“It’s okay to not be fine.” He pauses. “And hungry. It’s been a while since you’ve fed. When we get back, we should probably fill you up. If I’d thought of it, I’d have made you eat before we left.”
Maddy shrugs. “If I had, I probably would have been attacked by the Fae magic more than a stingy prickle on my skin.”
“Good point.” He takes a step toward the portal. “You ready?”
She nods, and they move through. She jerks and whimpers as the stinging is now more like stabbing as the Fae magic washes over her. Good thing they didn’t wait any longer than they already did. They moment they’re through, Alec’s portal closes with a snap behind them and instant relief washes over Maddy. She blinks, suddenly conscious that Caleb just tensed beside her.
When her vision clears, she sees they have a new visitor waiting on them in Veritas.
Quinn’s already in conversation with Caroline Merrick.
Maddy’s stomach clenches…from hunger, from shock, she doesn’t know which. “What are you doing back in Mercy City?”
Caroline points to Quinn. “I came to see my sister.”
Her sister… That’s a stretch. Sort of.
But Maddy doesn’t argue or correct her. Instead, she squeezes Caleb’s hand.
Maybe Caroline’s arrival shouldn’t bother her as much as it does, but everything is still so…so…off. Caroline used to support Malcom, their father, and Maddy’s seen enough double-crosses to be suspicious of everyone.
Just how is this latest arrival going to play out?
Chapter22
Caleb
Caroline turns to Quinn, studying her face as though she’s searching for something, and Quinn gives the woman a tight smile. Neither of them speaks, tension thickening the air. It’s more than complicated between them.
They’re all back in Veritas now. Alec’s nowhere around, and Cora’s in the corner of the reading room, pretending to read. Though Caleb doubts she’s doing much reading. She’s probably listening to everything going on. They wouldn’t have let Caroline in here without a guard of sorts. Cora must have drawn the short straw.
Caleb glances at Maddy. After being drained, almost dying, and healing, his recently-vampired girlfriend should be more than famished. She had a big breakfast before Spider attacked Veritas, but a lot has happened between then and now.
Caroline clears her throat. “Is there anything of my sister left? Is Ileana still inside you?”
